The present invention relates to a liquid crystal module mounting structure, and more particularly to a structure for mounting a liquid crystal module serving as a display to a mobile terminal such as a note type personal computer.
A liquid crystal module mounted to a note type personal computer will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrative of a note type personal computer mounted with a liquid crystal module serving as a display. The note type personal computer comprises a body 202 and a cover 203, A liquid crystal module 200 serving as a display of the computer is mounted to the cover 203. The liquid crystal module 200 has a peripheral region surrounding a display area, and this peripheral region has a plurality of screw holes 201. The cover 203 also has screw holes 205 at positions corresponding to the screw holes 201 of the liquid crystal module 200. The liquid crystal module 200 is fixed to the cover 203 by screws 204 which are driven tightly into the screw holes 201 and the screw holes 205. The display area of the liquid crystal module 200 is smaller in size than an entire part of the liquid crystal module 200 by the peripheral region on which the screw holes 201 are formed. Namely, it is difficult to enlarge the display area of the liquid crystal module 200 without enlargement of the cover 203.
Further, a thickness of the liquid crystal module 200 is decided dependent upon the necessary length of the screws 201 on the basis of the necessary strength in tightly fixing the liquid crystal module 200 to the cover 203. Namely, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of the liquid crystal module 200 with keeping the necessary fixing strength.
In order to have solved the above problems with the conventional liquid crystal module mounting structure of FIG. 1, a side mount type liquid crystal module has been proposed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrative of decomposed side mount type liquid crystal module mounting structure. A liquid crystal module 301 has two opposite side faces which are vertical to a display surface 301a of the liquid crystal module 301. Each of the two opposite side faces has two screw holes 300 which axes are parallel to the display surface 301a. The liquid crystal module 301 is engaged within inside walls of a bottom frame 303. The bottom frame 303 has two opposite side faces, each of which has two screw holes 304 at positions corresponding to the screw holes 300 of the liquid crystal module 301. The liquid crystal module 301 is engaged within the bottom frame 303, whereby the screw holes 300 of the liquid crystal module 301 are aligned to the corresponding screw holes 304 of the bottom frame 303. Screws 305 are driven tightly into the screw holes 300 and the screw holes 304, so as to tightly fix the liquid crystal module 301 to the bottom frame 303. A top frame 302 is placed on the bottom frame 303.
The above side mount type liquid crystal module has the following disadvantage. FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional elevation view illustrative of a mounting structure of a side mount type liquid crystal module to an outside frame. A liquid crystal module 303 is engaged within an outside frame 303b, wherein a distance xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is present between an inside wall of the outside frame 303b and a side face of a back-light portion 303c of the liquid crystal module 303, so that a screw 305 is driven into screw holes to penetrate the outside frame 303b and enters into the side portion of the liquid crystal module 303. The distance xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is necessary as a margin for driving the screw 305. This distance xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d as the screw margin results in widening the liquid crystal module 303.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional elevation view illustrative of a side portion having a screw hole of an outside frame shown in FIG. 3. In view of securing a sufficient strength, a screw hole formation region for forming a screw hole for a screw 305 is made of a metal material, which is heavy more than a resin of a body of the outside frame 303b. The metal screw hole formation region of the outside frame 303b results in increase in weight of the mobile terminal.
With reference back to FIG. 3, a head of the screw 305 projects from the side face of the outside frame 303b in a horizontal direction or a width direction, whereby a distance or margin xe2x80x9csxe2x80x9d is present between the head of the screw 305 and the side face of the back-light portion 303c of the liquid crystal module 303. This distance or margin xe2x80x9csxe2x80x9d widens the width of the liquid crystal module 303, whereby the width of the mobile terminal is also widen.
Furthermore, a display area of the display surface of the liquid crystal module is smaller than the area of the cover of the mobile terminal by the length of the screw extending in the parallel direction to the display surface of the liquid crystal module.
Moreover as shown in FIG. 4, the screw formation region for forming the screw hole has a side or dimension xe2x80x9cDxe2x80x9d which is defined by a sum of a diameter xe2x80x9crxe2x80x9d of the screw 305, and first and second margins xe2x80x9cm1xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cm2xe2x80x9d, for which reason a reduction in thickness of the liquid crystal module is limited by the dimension xe2x80x9cDxe2x80x9d.
The above described side mount liquid crystal module has a further disadvantage that if the mobile terminal mounted with the side mount liquid crystal module receives an external shock, then a mechanical stress due to the received shock is concentrated to the screw formation region of the outside frame. This mechanical stress concentration may provide damages to the liquid crystal panel and the outside frame.
As described above, the screw formation region of the outside frame is made of a metal material, for which reason when the screw is driven through the screw hole in the screw formation region made of the metal material, then it is possible that a metal broken piece is generated, whereby the metal broken piece may form a short circuit on an electronic circuit.
The above screw formation region of the side mount type liquid crystal module is required to be formed to avoid a driver IC provided on the module. This means that a freedom in design of signal lines of the driver IC is reduced. The screw formation region of the side mount type liquid crystal module makes it difficult to obtain an optimum layout of the signal lines of the driver IC.
The cover of the mobile terminal has the screw receiving portion for receiving the screw, for which reason a slide mold is necessary to form the cover. This means that the cost for forming the manufacturing line is high.
The screw receiving portion of the cover comprises a recessed portion which extends from the side face to an inside portion of the cover. The extension of the recessed portion as the screw receiving portion makes widen the width of the cover.
The side mount type liquid crystal module is inconvenient in removing the liquid crystal module from the cover by removing the screws in side direction.
The screw receiving portions are provided on side portions of the cover, for which reason the screw hole formation region is required to have a high strength by use of a high strength metal such as Mg allow which is, however, expensive and heavy and has a low formability.
In the above circumstances, it had been required to develop a novel liquid crystal module mounting structure for a mobile terminal free from the above problem.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel liquid crystal module mounting structure free from the above problems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel liquid crystal module mounting structure which allows a reduction in thickness of a liquid crystal module mounted on a mobile terminal.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel liquid crystal module mounting structure which improves a reliability.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel liquid crystal module mounting structure which allows an increased ratio in area of a display area of the liquid crystal module to a cover on which the liquid crystal module is mounted.
It is a further more object of the present invention to provide a novel liquid crystal module mounting structure which is convenient for attachment of the liquid crystal module to a mobile terminal.
It is moreover object of the present invention to provide a novel liquid crystal module mounting structure which is convenient for removal of the liquid crystal module from a mobile terminal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel mobile terminal mounted with a liquid crystal module by an improved liquid crystal module mounting structure free from the above problems.
It is further another object of the present invention to provide a novel mobile terminal mounted with a liquid crystal module by an improved liquid crystal module mounting structure which allows a reduction in thickness of a liquid crystal module mounted on a mobile terminal.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel mobile terminal mounted with a liquid crystal module by an improved liquid crystal module mounting structure which improves a reliability.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel mobile terminal mounted with a liquid crystal module by an improved liquid crystal module mounting structure which allows an increased ratio in area of a display area of the liquid crystal module to a cover on which the liquid crystal module is mounted.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a novel mobile terminal mounted with a liquid crystal module by an improved liquid crystal module mounting structure which is convenient for attachment of the liquid crystal module to a mobile terminal.
It is still additional object of the present invention to provide a novel mobile terminal mounted with a liquid crystal module by an improved liquid crystal module mounting structure which is convenient for removal of the liquid crystal module from a mobile terminal.
The present invention provides a mounting structure for mounting a liquid crystal module having a display area. The mounting structure comprises: at least a frame member having a plurality of connecting members for connecting the frame member to the liquid crystal module substantially in parallel to each other, wherein each of the connecting members extends between the liquid crystal module and the frame member in a direction vertical to a surface of the frame member.
The second present invention provides a cover for a device, the cover has a display device which comprising a liquid crystal module mounted on a frame member by a mounting structure of the first present invention.
The third present invention provides a mobile terminal comprising a body and a cover of the second present invention.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following descriptions.